Red Velvet Cake
Love red velvet -- forget the now-waning trend. The surge of alleged "red velvets" in the last decade has allowed anyone with red food coloring and off-white icing to call their product red velvet (yes, Ralph's Market, I'm talking about you). But we have a discerning red velvet palate. We have sampled and eaten Red Velvet cake and cupcakes in various parts of the world (that's right -- our knowledge of red velvet cake is global, man), and at many of the boasted-about bakeries on The Food Network. The genuine best, in both flavor, texture and cream-cheese frosting? Hands down, California Pizza Kitchen. It features a very light vanilla bean fresh cream plate swirl, and white chocolate curled shavings on the end of the slice. The rich-red (likely food coloring, because it's really too red to be beet juice or another natural source of color) cake is very moist, and very flavorful, but not cloying like many other variations of it. It is the slice you never want to have to share. Locations, www.cpk.com/menu/desserts/
